Aiming for consecutive wins at Ajinomoto by boldly transitioning from a stable defense to an aggressive attack.

　Sec. 9 will welcome Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match against Kobe, it ended in a scoreless draw, but the stable defense was maintained. It was a game where we could have won if we had scored one goal, so in this match, we must score and aim for a consecutive home win at Ajinomoto, following the victory against Yokohama FC in Sec. 7.

　Kashima is currently in 12th place with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. Although they struggled to win at the beginning of the season, MF Nozawa's return has allowed them to create more opportunities in games. On the other hand, FW Yanagisawa suffered an injury just as he was finding his form. However, in the previous match against Urawa, although they lost, Kashima had more chances. Manager Hara stated, "Every team is evenly matched, and if we lose focus for even a moment, we will lose. But if we can capitalize on our chances, we can win," showing his determination.

　When it comes to Kashima, the image of passing is strong, but this season they are also creating chances from quick counterattacks. At the same time, they have only conceded "8" goals. Similar to Tokyo, they have confidence in their ability to defend even if they have to hold onto the ball for a while, making the midfield battle one of the key points to watch. In the game against Kobe, the distance between the two forwards and the midfield was too far, making it difficult to launch a strong attack. The players all reflected on this and said, "We were too cautious. We need to be more creative." They plan to turn their good defense into aggressive attacks by using the width of the pitch and making runs from the midfield and full-back positions to get past the opposing players and break down Kashima's strong defense.

　Tokyo will face Kashima with the same starting members as the previous match, while Kashima will start with FW Tashiro for the first time this season. The Ajinomoto Stadium, under the clear skies of May, welcomed 34,360 fans for the Golden Week and kicked off at 4:05 PM with Kashima's kickoff.

Both teams are trying to counter each other, resulting in a back-and-forth match.

　From the beginning, both teams pressed each other and tried to launch quick attacks after winning the ball. Tokyo mostly used Asari as a lone defensive midfielder and created thick attacks from Fukunishi's forward runs. In the 3rd minute, Lucas boldly cut into the box from the left side. His final pass was blocked by the opponent's defender, but he persistently picked up the loose ball and took a shot from a difficult angle. However, it was saved by the opponent's GK. In the 9th minute, Kashima's Marquinhos broke through on a long ball to the right side, but Fujiyama managed to defend and the resulting shot from close range on the right side was saved by Shioda, leading to a corner kick.

　At 12 minutes, Tokunaga → Ishikawa became a wedge, Tokunaga overlapped. The right cross went to Lucas in the far post, who passed it directly to Wanchope in front of the goal. They created a good attacking shape, but the final pass was blocked by the Kashima DF. Tokyo showed a few good attacking shapes, but Kashima also created chances from long balls, resulting in a back-and-forth game. At 21 minutes, Kurizawa made a big side change from left to right. Ishikawa received the cross and won a right corner kick. At 23 minutes, this time Kanazawa made a side change → Ishikawa's cross resulted in another right corner kick. Lucas and Tokunaga competed for the ball, but it floated out of bounds.

　At 28 minutes, from Tokunaga's right throw-in, Lucas connected and Wanchope → Lucas dribbled to the center. He passed to Ishikawa who was running alongside him on the inside, and Ishikawa boldly aimed for the goal, but unfortunately it went to the left of the goal... At 30 minutes, Kashima's left MF Danilo dribbled to the center and passed to right side MF Nozawa. Nozawa saw no pressure and took a precise shot. The ball hit the bar! The rebound went to left area FW Marquinhos, but his shot from an awkward position missed widely, avoiding danger.

　In the 36th minute, while both teams were trying to counter, Wanchope broke through with a long feed from Lucas in their own zone and took a shot from the right area. In the 41st minute, Tokunaga moved up and connected a pass to the middle under pressure. Lucas, who received the ball freely, took a powerful shot from just outside the right area, but it narrowly missed the goal... Despite Kurizawa and Kanazawa's effective side changes, Ishikawa was able to win corners with crosses, but they were unable to score from set pieces. The first half ended in a 0-0 tie.

Wanchope scored the first goal with a header, but suffered a painful comeback loss at home...

　In the first half, there were effective chances created through attacking with a wide pitch and quick counterattacks in the opponent's territory. In the second half, with expectations for a goal, the first goal was scored in the 57th minute. Lucas advanced on the right side, received a return pass from Ishikawa, and charged into the right area. He skillfully passed Lins and sent a high cross to the far side. Wanchope then headed the ball into the goal, scoring his first league goal and giving the team momentum.

　However, in the 59th minute, a vertical pass was sent to Kashima's FW Tashiro, and Tokyo's DF cut it off and gave a left corner kick. The CK kicked by MF Nozawa was initially punched away by Shioda, but Tokunaga and Fukunishi were unable to clear it, and the ball kicked by Lucas hit Kashima's DF Aoki and bounced off. Kashima's MF Nakago, who ran in here, shot a powerful shot into the net and scored a goal. They were caught up to a tie immediately after taking the lead.

　In the 70th minute, Wanchope and Ishikawa were replaced by Baba and Norio Suzuki, aiming to take the lead. However, there were scenes where Kashima was able to connect passes without being pressed in the midfield, and they were able to control the rhythm of the game. In the 80th minute, Kajiyama was substituted in an attempt to change the flow of the game, but in the 82nd minute, Kashima's FW Marquinhos broke through from the right sideline and was able to keep the ball. Asari and Noriyuki Suzuki tried to surround and steal the ball, but they were able to slip through and send a fast cross into the box. This was headed in by substitute MF Masuda, resulting in a goal... They were caught off guard during the restart and conceded a second goal.

　In the final minutes, Konno and Asari also pushed forward, sticking to the Kashima goal and launching attacks. In the 89th minute, Norio Suzuki's cross earned a left corner kick, and Asari followed up with a shot that was blocked by the Kashima DF after Tadashi Baba's clearance. Then, they earned a free kick in the opponent's half, with Norio Suzuki aiming for the goal, but it hit a teammate and went out of bounds. In the end, they couldn't break through Kashima's wall, as they brought on DF Oiwa to strengthen their defense after the comeback. They suffered a painful comeback loss at home.

　【Player Comments】《Lucas》"It was a 50-50 game in terms of content, and there was no clear winner. I think the result could have gone either way. However, our team's main focus is to not concede goals, so it's understandable that we had fewer chances. For all teams, having a low number of goals conceded also means a low number of goals scored. (On the assist for the goal) I received a great ball from Kurisawa and immediately crossed it. The setup was good, but unfortunately it didn't result in a goal. The combination with Wanchope is not perfect, but it's gradually improving. I want to continue to improve our teamwork and contribute to the team's victory."《Wanchope》"I was able to score, but it's disappointing that the team couldn't win. My condition was very good... In order for the team to win, we need to be more aggressive and put more pressure on the opponent, creating a situation where they can't play freely. (On scoring his first goal in the league) It's not something special. The team's victory is more important than scoring a goal."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "I felt that we were coming in with a good flow, creating chances from side changes since the first half. However, we were a bit too defensive and allowed dangerous situations such as middle shots. But there was a scene where Ishikawa received the ball in a good position and faced forward, so at halftime I told Lucas and Wanchope to make sure to get into the goal area at that time. In the second half, I thought we were in a good flow after taking the lead, but we immediately conceded a goal from a loose ball from a corner kick. If we could have held on for a few more minutes, Kashima should have started to feel the pressure. However, we conceded a goal during that time and ended up being flustered. Although I was happy with Wanchope's goal, he was tired from playing consecutive games and was staying too far forward, so I brought in Baba. Also, since the opponent's left side was often open, I put in Norio Suzuki to take a gamble. However, we conceded a second goal before the substitute players could get into the game. However, even though we conceded two goals, Asari and the players in the final line have been really focused and defending well in the past few games. Also, we have been able to make good side changes, so we need to create more finishing opportunities. I don't think today's game was bad at all. We lost, but we were able to achieve what we were aiming for to some extent. We only have two days until the next game against Kawasaki, so we need to quickly switch our mindset and prepare for it."

[Kashima · Oliveira coach's press conference summary] "(In the previous round against Urawa, I talked about "a loss that leads to the next", but what connected today?) It may not be tactical or technical, but in terms of mentality, we have confidence in what we could do against Urawa. Even though we were behind, we were able to turn the game around because the players had composure and confidence. (Do you think MF Nozawa's positioning was too low?) To be honest, I want to use him in the front, but the team lacks in the build-up, so he is asked to drop back. We trust him to use his cleverness and wide vision to create rhythm. However, just because he is in a lower position, it doesn't mean he can't show his strength. It takes time to recover from surgery and regain his form. As we play more games, I believe his true strength will come out. (What was the intention behind starting FW Tashiro and substituting for FW Sasaki?) Tashiro is a player who could start, but like MF Nozawa, he was delayed due to injury. We considered the aspect of rehabilitation from there. We thought he wouldn't last 90 minutes today. We saw that he was starting to make mistakes due to fatigue, so we brought in Sasaki as planned. (What was the intention behind bringing in MF Masuda?) The opponent brought in midfielders and our midfield was losing its energy, so we brought in Masuda to stabilize. He is also a player who should carry this team, but he still lacks experience. He has a lot of energy and can contribute to the attack, but if he can calm down a little, he can create a different outcome. I think he will be able to do it as he gains more experience. He scored today, so he showed a satisfactory performance."